The summer months bring lots of sunshine, blue skies, the beach and, of course, barbecue grilling. I grill almost every night. You name it, I have probably grilled it. I love the smokey, charred flavors the grill brings to food.

With so much grilling, I’ve learned taking proper care of the grill is key to a successful summer of cooking out. There are many things to do before, during and at the end of the grilling season that make grilling an easy task each time. Basic grill maintenance should be done each year. Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Before grilling season:

Disassemble the burners from the grill and clean them out with a wire brush.

Clean out the inside of the grill of any charcoal or debris with a vacuum and a stiff wire brush.

Clean out the interior of the grill with warm soapy water. Make sure to cover the holes to the gas line so not to…………… continues on Patch.com

PR Newswire is reporting that BISSELL, the 135 year old top-selling brand in floor care appliances in North America and major supporter of pet adoptions, has launched a new campaign to help find forever homes for pets who are in shelters and adoption facilities.

BISSELL, which is in its fourth generation of family leadership, has partnered with Petfinder.com Foundation , a non-profit organization that works with animal shelters and …………… continues on The Imperfect Parent… Read the full article

CHRISTMAS IN JULY EVENT AT HISTORIC HOME: The Upton House, 3870 Mahoning Ave., Warren, landmark home of suffragette Harriet Upton, will be open at 2 p.m. Sunday with the theme ”Christmas in July.” The event will be led by Sue Stoddart and is free to the public. For information, call 330-395-1840

WEED/SEED OFFERS PROGRAMS: The Warren Weed and Seed program in collaboration with the Warren Police Athletic League will sponsor various events for youth this summer. There will be arts, crafts and sewing at 4:30 p.m. each Monday for ages 6 and older at Divine Trinity Church, 500 Vine Ave. To register, call 330-369-3206. Summer STEM (science, technolo…………… continues on Warren Tribune Chronicle… Read the full article
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Friends of the Killen Library Bookstore accepts donations of books and magazines, as well as Killen Big Star Supermarket receipts. Deliver to the library on J.C. Mauldin Highway, next to the Killen Town Hall in the Municipal Complex. Receipts can be dropped in any of the library’s collection boxes. Bookstore hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Proceeds support the library. 256-757-5471

Local trip tips – North County TimesNews from Local trip tips – North County Times:

EXPERIENCE LA COSTA: Never been to La Costa Resort and Spa? Now’s the time to head to south Carlsbad, as the resort is offering a La Costa Experience package: breakfast for two at Legends Bistro, a $ 25 golf or spa voucher, and waived parking and resort fees. Ask about the Summer Playbook, which offers $ 100 on a return visit, a $ 25 spa voucher, $ 35 toward golf club rentals, a free appetizer or dessert at Legends Bistro or BlueFire Grill, and more. Go to www.lacosta.com/packages or call 800-854-5000.
FIRST TEE OPEN: To celebrate hosting the inaugural Nature Valley First Tee Open, Pebble Beach Resorts are offering the First Tee Open Stay & Play package, available July 4-9. For $ 600, guests can stay one night at The Inn at Spanish Bay and play a round at The Links at Spanish Bay; or, for $ 700, guests can stay one night at The Inn at Spanish Bay and play a round at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Go to…………… continues on Local trip tips – North County Times

AstraZeneca has just done a spot of spring-cleaning, with the $ 1.8bn (£621m) sale of its medical devices unit, Astra Tech, to Dentsply – a private company. Dentsply specialises in selling a variety of dental and medical equipment.

The Astra Tech unit was certainly an anomaly in the context of AstraZeneca’s main business and was inherited from the Swedish part of the group at the time of the merger. It manufactures fiddly bits of equipment for dentists, such as implants, catheters and breathing masks. Astra Tech was counted as something of a rounding item on AstraZeneca’s boo…………… continues on Investors Chronicle… Read the full article
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Tips to green your kitchen every day News from Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Posted: Jun. 24, 2011 | 1:10 a.m.Updated: Jun. 24, 2011 | 3:20 a.m.

The mantra of the green earth movement – reduce, reuse, recycle – can easily be adapted in your kitchen. No need to redo your entire kitchen with bamboo floors, the newest energy efficient appliances, counters made of recycled paper and yogurt containers, and locally made antique cabinetry. In fact, the greenest option is to keep the kitchen you already have and adopt some new practices.

Stocking your kitchen“The most important starting point is to stock your kitchen with simple basic foods so you can cook at home when possible,” says chef Anthony Mandriota of The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville. “And try to incorporate locally produced, unrefined, and organic foods into the pantry whenever possible.”

Question: Eight seasons ago, I had a cedar deck built on the back of the house. I went with cedar because I was told that its life expectancy was greater than pressure-treated pine.

The deck was built in April and allowed to cure and dry for a year, as directed by the builder, before staining.

The following spring, I had the deck painted with a semitransparent stain – it allows the grain to show but looks like paint. Several months later, the paint began to peel. Large flakes were lifting off the wood. I contacted the painter, who came back the next spring and repainted at no charge.

The new paint job lasted two summers, then began to peel again. Since it was only the decking, I repainted.

Again, it lasted two summers before peeling. I contacted another painter who stripped the deck, applied a primer, and repainted. While stripping, he began to uncover …………… continues on Philadelphia Inquirer

Tips to green your kitchen every day News from Osceola Sentinel Tribune:

(ARA) – The mantra of the green earth movement – reduce, reuse, recycle – can easily be adapted in your kitchen. No need to redo your entire kitchen with bamboo floors, the newest energy efficient appliances, counters made of recycled paper and yogurt containers, and locally made antique cabinetry. In fact, the greenest option is to keep the kitchen you already have and adopt some new practices.

Stocking your kitchen“The most important starting point is to stock your kitchen with simple basic foods so you can cook at home when possible,” says chef Anthony Mandriota of The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville. “And try to incorporate locally produced, unrefined, and organic foods into the pantry whenever possible.”

You’ll need olive or canola oil, different vinegars, salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices, rice, pasta, beans (preferably dried), and if you intend to do some baking – flours, sugar or other natural sw…………… continues on Osceola Sentinel Tribune… Read the full article
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(EMAILWIRE.COM, June 22, 2011 ) Brandon, FL — Appliance Repair Brandon FL Specialists recently updated their website with an interesting article about how self-cleaning ovens work. Anyone who has spent hours on their knees, scrubbing the oven with caustic chemicals can appreciate the miracle of the self-cleaning oven.

Though most people take their appliances for granted, others wonder how they work. Simply put, self-cleaning ovens work by heating the interior to around 900 degrees Fahrenheit to burn off and reduce debris…………… continues on Benzinga… Read the full article
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A one-piece pacifier reduces the risk of a choking hazard and is also easier to keep clean.ARA Content

Published: 2:00 AM – 06/22/11

Pacifiers can help babies learn how to self-soothe, aid in the development of a calmer infant and provide vital non-nutritive sucking without interfering with breast-feeding.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind when selecting a baby’s pacifier or bringing one home that was provided in the hospital.

– Look for “one-piece” construction. This reduces the risk of the pacifier pieces separating from use or age, which could pose a choking hazard. In addition, this construction makes it easier to keep clean. Multiple-piece pacifiers have nooks and crannies where dirt, germs and lint can get trapped, making it difficult to completely clean or disinfect the pacifier.<…………… continues on Times Herald-Record… Read the full article
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13 tips for a super yard sale News from MSN Money:

This post comes from Brandon Ballenger at partner site Money Talks News.

If spring is for cleaning, summer is for selling off all the junk you’ve accumulated. And the simplest way to do it? An American classic: the yard sale.

Yard sales are known by many names, including garage sales, attic sales, porch sales, barn sales, junk sales, tag sales, moving sales, and the ever-popular rummage sale. They’ve been around for as long as people have been collecting clutter. If you’re so inclined, check out the history at this Wikipedia page.

But if you’re more interested in making money, what you need are a few tips to make your next sale more successful. Reporter Jim Robinson recently visited a few y…………… continues on MSN Money